Grissom's Doll
by VegasGoddess
Summary: GSR Another miniature graced his desk and Sara was nowhere to be found.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Grissom's Doll

**Summary: **Another miniature graced his desk and Sara was nowhere to be found.

**Spoilers: **Uhm, let's go with pretty much all of season seven, and both parts of A Bullet Runs Through It from season six.

**Disclaimer: **I'm still bitter about me owning them turning out to be just a dream, so that should tell you I've "got no dog in that fight," to quote Catherine from Leaving Las Vegas. I watched it last night. :D I love that scene with her and Nick; it's so cute! Alas, I don't own anything here.

**Author's Note: **Alright ladies and gentlemen, THIS IS THE EPIC STORY I PROMISED YOU! I just finished going through it last night, and have worked out everything - I think. I've got a few things to say before we get into it though, so bear with me. First of all, this was originally written back in 2007, BEFORE we knew who the Miniature Killer was. It's not as good as what we were given - not by a long shot - but it's what I wrote, and it's taking up space on my computer so I figured I'd post it. I'm also asking you to forgive some of the details, because I kind of fudged the end of season seven to fit with the story. You'll know what I mean later. Thank you in advance though. :)

I am morally opposed to WIPs, so I am telling you now, this IS completely finished. I'm gonna draw out the posting though, to add to the drama and suspense. Every Tuesday and Friday, look for an update! I promise to be on the ball with it.

This is relevant, I swear. Does anyone else think the way Grissom answered Sara's question in the morgue about vegetation outside the church in the episode Double Cross was eerily similar to when Natalie described the reception area of the cleaning service in Living Doll? It struck me the other day and totally freaked me out. Thoughts?

And last but not least, a great big ginormous thank you to Lauren for editing this. She is absolutely fantastic in every single way you could ever imagine. She is just flippin' perfect. :D She practically co-wrote this with me. I love you Big Me, so very much. THANK YOU!

Now on with the story!

* * *

A box.

He stared at it, hoping against hope that what lay within was not what he thought, but was rather certain, it was.

Swearing under his breath, he sliced through the tape on the top of the box and slowly slid it back. Opening it, he found a layer of bubble wrap. With latex-covered fingers, he slowly pulled this back as well. Underneath the layers of tape, plastic, and cardboard, his predicted horror was confirmed.

Another miniature.

Grissom stared at it for the longest time, something nagging in the back of his mind. He knew this scene, he did. But from where, he had no idea.

The miniature room, painted in warm colors, was vaguely familiar. It looked like an apartment or possibly a hotel room, something to that effect; Grissom couldn't definitively pinpoint what or where it could be.

As the start of shift crept up on him, he knew that there would only be one case tonight: the half-inch replica of an unknown murder scene.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Stepping into the break room carrying the box, Grissom got quite a few odd looks from his coworkers.

"Moving in?" Catherine asked, a smirk playing on her features.

Grissom regarded her with a grave expression, and the smirk died on her lips. Nick, Warrick and Greg looked up, curious.

"Whatcha got there, Bossman?" Greg asked, pouring himself some of the sludge from the coffee pot.

"The only scene tonight," Grissom answered, setting the box down on the table with a weary sigh. "The Miniature Killer strikes again."

Pulling back the flaps and bubble wrap, he revealed the scene to his coworkers.

"Son of a bitch," Catherine said on a breath. "I thought this guy was done."

"What makes you think that the killer is male?" Grissom asked, in full CSI mode.

"What? Oh, nothing in particular, Gil. It's just a figure of speech," Catherine answered with a small but sad smile.

The three other men in the room bent over the box to get a better view. Grissom could see that something was bothering Greg, and asked, "What's on your mind, Greg?"

The young CSI looked up, a bit startled. "It's just…"

Grissom nodded his encouragement to go on.

"It's just… the scene looks kind of familiar, I guess," Greg finished.

Grissom nodded the fact that they had both seemed to recognize the scene was not lost on him. "Good call, Greg. I feel like I recognize the scene as well."

Greg beamed.

Warrick and Nick exchanged looks and a brief nod before turning back to their boss. "Griss," Warrick began.

"We think we recognize the scene as well," Nick finished on a sigh. "But I can't remember for the life of me why that is."

Grissom nodded again, and turned to his second in command. "Catherine?"

The blonde was still staring into the small box. "I don't know… I think I might, but I'm not sure…"

"Well, if anyone, and I mean anyone remembers where this is from, let me know immediately, all right?" Grissom gave them all a look, making sure that they understood.

His team nodded their understanding.

"Okay then. We'll start work on this ASAP. I need to find Sofia and Brass," he started to say, but was stopped by the look of confusion on Catherine's face. "What?"

She looked around the break room, as if trying to confirm something. Finally deciding that she had, she turned her light blue stare to Grissom's darkened one. "Gil," she said quietly, "where's Sara?"

Grissom paled. Shift had started almost half an hour ago, and his beautiful brunette was nowhere in sight. "I don't know," he answered honestly, trying to ignore the growing knot of pain and fear in his gut. "But I'll find her, don't worry."

He slipped out of the room without another word to his coworkers and turned down the hall towards PD.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Once alone in the hallway, Grissom's mind began to spin. Sara wasn't at work. She hadn't told him that morning that she wasn't coming in, and she hadn't called now. That was not like the Sara he knew and loved, not at all.

He pulled out his cell and dialed her number, but there was no answer. Next on his list was her apartment. Again, no answer. On a ray of hope, he called his townhouse. He had no idea why she would be there, she should be at work, but he didn't care. He just wanted to be able to reach her, but again, there was nothing.

Almost in a near-panic now, Grissom retreated to his office and locked the door behind him. Collapsing into the chair behind his desk, he ran a hand over his face. He was worried about Sara.

Sara was a strong woman; very independent. She rarely ever let him take care of her, and he knew that she was proud of being independent. She depended on herself, and no one else. She did let him dote on her occasionally, but the occasions were few and far between, her need to be independent still set deep in her bones, an unfortunate by-product of all her time alone.

Grissom couldn't shake the feeling that something was just not right. Sara not at work without an explanation? That was something that never happened. Somehow, to him, it felt different, wrong, even. With Sara missing - _No_, he told himself, _she's not missing. She's just, unreachable, and now another miniature…_

Oh yeah. Something was definitely wrong.

* * *

**to be continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Thank you for all of your support guys! It puts on a smile on my face every time I get a new notification for this story. I can't wait for all the feedback I'll get with this chapter. That's a shameless hint for you all to review, by the way! But seriously, thank you. I really appreciate it. Hugs for all!

Here's to chapter two! Hurrah!

* * *

Sara was dragged into the room, bound and gagged.

"Sara, my sweet," he whispered into her ear, "I think you might just die tonight." Laughing, he pulled her with him into the bedroom. "And I'll make sure that Gil Grissom watches."

**OoOoOoOoO**

Grissom's mind was spinning with images of Sara, where she could be, and what could be happening to her. Each one was worse than the last. If he didn't calm himself down, he was going to work himself up into something nasty.

The small ring from his computer alerted him to an email waiting for him. Wearily opening up his inbox, he saw the new email was from an unknown source, but it was flagged to indicate high importance.

Not really knowing why he was doing what he was doing, he opened it, and felt his heart drop out of his body.

**OoOoOoOoO**

A flash of light momentarily blinded Sara. A peal of cold laughter broke through the fog in her brain, and she quickly registered where she was. Before she could even take a mental picture of the room, he spoke from behind her.

"Well, well, well Sara, you do photograph nicely. I'm sure Grissom will be happy to have such a nice picture of you… like this."

He spun her around, and held a picture of her in front of her face. It was her, but not as she knew herself to be. She was bound, gagged, and looking terrified, her skin pale and sweaty.

"Yes, Gil will love this picture, don't you think?"

He had malice in his eyes like Sara had never seen before. They were terrifying, and she had never been so afraid for her life. She had no doubt whatsoever that he would do whatever he promised; he seemed like a man of his word.

Smiling wickedly, he stepped away from her and back to the computer on the small bedside table. Opening up his email, he clicked on Grissom's address and added a file. His smile growing into a triumphant grin, he pressed send.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Catherine was standing at the table in the layout room, everyone gathered except for Grissom and Sara, the latter of whom was still unreachable.

Finding that she had her own sense of unease growing in her stomach, Catherine fought to push it down. She and Sara were not necessarily the best of friends, but they weren't enemies either. Thoughts of the young brunette dead or seriously hurt in any way were not something that Catherine wanted to entertain. She wasn't going to make it worse by announcing to the graveyard shift that Sara was missing, especially if it wasn't official yet.

Looking at the people gathered around her – Warrick, Nick, and Greg plus the two detectives on their team; Sofia Curtis and Jim Brass - she'd decided to find them herself, for Grissom had locked himself in his office for the time being. She gave them all what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

It really wasn't, not by a long shot.

"So what do we have here?" Warrick asked, his voice and eyes tight.

Catherine looked down into the box before her. "A murder scene, or at least a potential one."

"A potential scene?" Greg asked, momentarily confused.

"Yes," Catherine answered. "A potential one. The last miniature sat on Gil's desk for four weeks, and even after we'd opened it, the murder still hadn't happened. It was a two or three day head start."

"Since we haven't had any homicide call ins, we're treating this one as a warning of sorts." Brass said, picking up on her train of thought.

Sofia studied the miniature with a strained look on her face. The last time a miniature had turned up, she'd been standing guard with a decoy – one of their own – and had unknowingly watched her die. That last miniature had been the second time the blonde had felt responsible for another officer's untimely death. Of course, neither incident had been her fault, but that feeling wasn't something one shook off quickly.

"Where's Grissom?" Nick asked, looking around. "I know he wanted to start work on this immediately, and I kind of thought he'd be here."

"I'll find him, the rest of you stay here and keep working, but don't touch the model." Catherine said this last bit with an air of warning, leaving the room and pulling out her keys.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Grissom was staring open-mouthed at the monitor, waves of emotion rolling through him; pain, fear, anger, and disgust were but a few.

The picture before him wasn't even that bad; he'd seen worse, in the flesh – or lack thereof. He was bothered, not by the photograph itself, but rather by the subject of the picture.

Sara.

He wanted to tear his eyes away from the screen, focus on anything but her, anything, but he couldn't. It was the morbid fascination humans are unfortunately prone to. He hadn't been able to focus on anything properly since the day they'd met in San Francisco anyway, but right now, it looked like that all of that could end. In the picture, Sara was bound and gagged, pale, sweaty, and looking absolutely terrified. Probably about the same way Grissom looked at the moment. He didn't even hear the lock click or the door open, and didn't register Catherine until she was leaning on his desk in front of him.

"Gil?" She took in his appearance, momentarily startled. "Are you okay?"

"Catherine," he all but sobbed. "We need to find her, save her. She's not going to make it. _Catherine..._" This last was choked out in nothing more than a broken whisper.

Alarmed now, Catherine walked around his desk to see the computer monitor. She gasped and swore. "Holy mother of…"

Staring back at Catherine from the screen was a picture she thought she'd never see; something she never thought possible. Sara Sidle, one of the strongest women she knew, bound and gagged, and looking more helpless than a small child. Catherine was stunned. "What the hell is this?" she whispered.

Grissom shook his head and scrolled down to the message beneath, feeling the bile rising in his throat. It read;

_Gil, I have this girl, your beautiful girl. How do you feel about watching the one you love die? I hope it suits you because she will die, and you will watch. Don't bother trying to find us, it won't help. I'll send you updates, so try not to stray far from your computer._

"The one you love?" Catherine asked, confused. "Sara's your girlfriend?"

Again, Grissom shook his head. That small tidbit of information didn't matter right now. Or did it? He really didn't know.

* * *

**to be continued...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** I know I'm cutting it short today with my post - it's almost 11:30pm here in Alberta - and I'm sorry! My aunt is in town and time got away from me. Won't happen again, I promise! Again, a huuuuuge thank you to all the reviews and favorites and story alerts I've received the past few days. They make me oh so happy! Cookies for all!

Here's to chapter three! Hurrah!

* * *

Sara had no idea of where she was, and didn't really want to know either. All she wanted was to go home to Grissom and forget about everything that had happened over the past few hours.

It had started even before she'd left for work. Grissom had left her apartment a good fifteen minutes before her – they'd decided early on that it probably wasn't in their best interests to arrive at work together every day, it might raise some suspicions – and she was just about ready to leave herself when a knock sounded from the front door. Thinking it was Grissom coming back for something forgotten, she opened the door without much thought; things had only gone downhill from there. A cloth came around from the back of her, and she struggled, trying to fight her assailant. The sweet smell of halothane assaulted her senses, lulling her into an unconscious sleep. The next thing she remembered was waking up in a car she didn't recognize, and feeling the desperate longing for Grissom in her heart. She didn't know where she was, and had no idea of what was to become of her.

Suddenly, a hand covered her eyes, blocking out the harsh brightness of the Nevada sun that was quickly upon her. She was dragged out of the car and hauled to her feet. Her captor led her through a door and pushed her clumsily up the steps.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Catherine and Grissom were staring at the email on the computer screen, unable to comprehend it.

"Gil," Catherine said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We need to get this to Brass, and the rest of PD. They'll find her."

Grissom stared blankly at the screen, unable to come to grips that this might just be the very last time he saw Sara alive. His heart wouldn't – couldn't – didn't – want to realize it, and his head was spinning.

_No, this can't be happening. I can't lose her, I love her, there's still so much I have to say to her, to let her know. We're supposed to have so much more time. This can't be happening to us._

Catherine watched Grissom struggling to keep his spiraling emotions under control. She could see now that Grissom loved Sara, and that Sara must love him right back. Losing her in any way would break Grissom into pieces, absolutely shatter him, and he would never be quite whole ever again.

They needed to find Sara.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Warrick looked around the table at his friends with a grim expression. "Has anyone heard from Sara?" he asked slowly.

Everyone shook their heads. "No," said Nick slowly, running a hand over his face. "I haven't seen or heard from her in a couple of days. She and Griss both had the night off last night, so the last time I saw her was probably a couple of days ago…"

Warrick turned to Greg. "What about you, Greggo?"

Greg looked up and in a small voice said, "No, I haven't seen her since we wrapped up Lady Heather's case a few days ago." Upon this realization, Greg looked like a lost puppy searching for his owner. His eyes were wide and his gaze shifted from one coworker to the next, waiting for one of them to tell him that nothing was wrong.

Sofia and Brass exchanged looks; they hadn't seen the brunette in a couple of days either.

"She's not missing, though, right?" Greg asked quietly. "I mean, who's stupid enough to do anything Sara? She'd probably shoot them first."

A small laugh went around the table, the nervous and uncomfortable kind.

"You're right, Greggo," Nick said, clapping him on the back. "She's fine."

**OoOoOoOoO**

Catherine could see that Grissom's resolve was rapidly deteriorating, and that scared her. She had always known that Sara would either make him or break him down, but losing her before he'd had a chance to let her know how he felt would haunt him for the rest of his life.

If they didn't find her.

"Gil," she said, firmly pulling him away from the computer screen. "We need to get this to PD. I'll print it out, and you go find the team. They're in the layout room, with the miniature. You need to explain what's going on to them. They can't help if they don't' know." Grissom nodded and headed out of his office, feeling numb. He couldn't feel anything, and it was like his heart had turned to ice.

No sooner had Grissom stepped away from his office did another email arrive in his inbox, alerting Catherine to another message. Whether or not it contained another picture, she'd have to open it to find out. Double clicking on the message, she opened it. Inhaling a shaky breath, she began to read.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Sara was sitting in the room by herself, feeling more and more claustrophobic by the minute. Her assailant had knocked her out again after sending something to Grissom, and when she had finally regained consciousness, he was gone.

Standing up slowly on wobbly legs, she looked around her prison. It was a bedroom, one in what looked like an apartment, or a high-end hotel of some sort. There was a window to her left, but it was bolted closed, and made with what looked like bulletproof glass, thick and unyielding. To her right was a door, and she slowly made her way over to it. Locked. From the outside.

_Great_, she thought, _just great. Now how the hell am I supposed to get out of here?_

Turning from the door towards the bed, she saw a small note placed on top of it, her name scrawled on the front.

* * *

**to be continued...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Okay so this is where I'm gonna need you guys to kind of forget the last eight episodes of season seven. I wrote this after Monster in the Box aired, but before Lab Rats. I told you I fudged up the end of the season, and now is when that comes into play. Thank you in advance for your understanding. And, thank you so much for all your love and support, as usual. It warms my heart! Have a fantastic weekend everyone! :)

Here's to chapter four! Hurrah!

* * *

Attempting to regain his composure, Grissom slowly made his way down the hall towards the layout room, dreading what he was going to have to tell his coworkers. _Not my coworkers_, he reminded himself. _My friends, Sara's friends… our friends. _Slipping into the room, the small mumblings in the room ground to a halt as everyone registered their boss and friend enter the room, looking… off.

Warrick spoke first. "Griss? Are you okay?"

Grissom collapsed into a chair and regarded them all with a look that rocked them to their very core; it was empty and cold. No one had ever seen Grissom like this, and they were pretty sure that whatever had put him in this mood did not bode well for any of them.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Sara loomed over the piece of paper, dreading what was written inside of it but at the same time curious to know what it said.

Bending down, she grabbed it and sank to the floor. She recognized Grissom's writing on the outside, and felt her heart begin to beat wildly.

She, gingerly unfolded the single sheet to find more of his writing on the inside, and slowly began to read.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Catherine stared at the computer screen, feeling the anger rising in her chest. The email sent to Grissom had been another "update," as their kidnapper liked to call them. This picture was again of Sara, but she was asleep – more than likely knocked out, Catherine thought – and didn't look as terrified. She was still pale and sweaty, but the gag had been taken off of her and she seemed to be breathing, meaning that she was still alive, for now.

Thank God.

Quickly printing both the most recent email and the previous one, she stood from the desk and headed for the layout room, in search of her team. It was time to find Sara.

**OoOoOoOoO**

"Sara."

"What about Sara?" Brass asked, moving towards his friend. "Have you heard from her? Do you know why she's not at work?"

"Kidnapped."

A gasp went around the room and everyone hoped that they had heard incorrectly.

"Pardon?" Brass asked, he seemingly being the only one who could speak at the moment. "Did you say kidnapped?"

"Yes."

"Oh God," Nick said, backing into the wall and sliding to the floor and holding his head in his hands. Greg quickly followed, his knees buckling and causing him to land in a heap, leaning heavily on Nick.

"What… Who… How?" Greg asked, trying, but failing, to come up with coherent questions.

"I don't know," Grissom said, his voice a mere whisper. "But we're going to catch this son of a bitch, and I'll make sure he's put behind bars for the rest of his life."

No one in the room doubted the man's vow for a minute. They knew he loved them all, but they suspected that he loved Sara a little more, perhaps a little differently.

Catherine ran into the room then, slightly out of breath. "Gil," she said quickly. "We got another email, he sent another picture."

Grissom paled even further, the color draining completely from his face. "Let me see it," he rasped out, reaching for the papers that she held in her hand.

She reluctantly handed them to him, not wanting him to fall apart in front of the others. He needed to be strong for Sara, himself, and his team if they were going to find her alive.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Sara stared at the letter, her eyes growing bleary with the tears that were threatening to overflow. She read it again, for what had to be the hundredth time in less than ten minutes. It said;

_Sara, _

_Our parting was awkward. I don't know why I find it so difficult to express my feelings to you. Even though we're far apart, I can see you as vividly as if you were here with me... I said I'll miss you, and I do. As Shakespeare more ably wrote my sentiment in Sonnet #47,_

_Thyself away art presence still with me, For thou not farther than my thoughts canst move, And I am still with them and they with thee, Or if they sleep, thy picture in my sight, Awakes my heart to heart's and eye's delight. _

The tears finally won, making tracks down her cheeks and spilling onto her hands and the edges of the paper. Pushing it quickly away from her, Sara let the note fall to the floor, not wanting the her tears to wash away Grissom's sweet words; she feared that they might be the last ones she ever received from him.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Pulling the pictures towards him, he also grabbed the new miniature and laid them out side by side. "Okay," Grissom said, fighting to control his voice. "We need to find out where this miniature is, and then we can save Sara."

"You think the miniature killer is the one who kidnapped Sara?" Brass asked.

"I do," Grissom answered.

"Why?"

"Because," Grissom said through clenched teeth, "I don't think that the fact that she's missing and another miniature just happens to show up in my office at the same time is a coincidence."

"Gil," Catherine said gently, "that's just a hunch. We don't work hunches."

Grissom rounded on her, his eyes flaring. "Do I look like I care Catherine? I don't care right now. My focus right now is finding Sara." Lowering his head, he felt the tears at the corners of his eyes threatening to make themselves known. "I want her back. I need her back."

Brass leaned over the table and gently removed the pictures from his friend's hands. Grissom looked up suddenly, a lost expression on his face. He didn't want to let them go; he couldn't let go the one connection he had left to Sara right now, even if he logically knew that that wasn't the case.

Gently prying them from his grip, Brass motioned for Sofia to follow him out the door and down towards PD. She stood slowly, and before leaving, she looked at Grissom. "Gil," she said quietly. "We'll find her. Don't worry."

Grissom attempted a smile, but it came out more like a grimace. "Thanks Sofia," he croaked quietly, voice nearing a broken whisper.

Sofia nodded and headed to the door, Brass on her tail. They hurried down the hall, away from the crime lab and its occupants. Quickly making their way to PD, Sofia asked, "What do we have so far?"

Looking down at the two email printouts, he answered, "Not much. These two emails and a miniature that Gil thinks is related to Sara's kidnapping."

"Not much to go on, is it?" Sofia asked, giving him a small smile.

"Nope," Brass said on a sigh. "The last time one of us was kidnapped…"

"Nick," Sofia said quietly.

"Yeah, Nick," Brass said. "You weren't here for that. "

"No, I wasn't, but I heard it got pretty bad and Gil was a wreck."

"Yeah, you could tell," Brass said, pulling Sofia into his office for some privacy. "Gil is not the kind of man to show his emotions. It's just not him. You've been here long enough to know that." Sofia nodded, agreeing. "But with Nicky, it wasn't a good thing to see. Grissom loves Nick, I mean he really does. He loves his whole team, and losing any of them would obviously haunt him. But Sara…" Brass trailed off, unsure of how to proceed.

"But Sara's an exception, isn't she?" Sofia asked.

"Sara is an exception, but not in a bad way," Brass explained, sitting down behind his desk. "Sara… Sara, she… Grissom loves her as well. She's a part of his team. But that affection goes farther," he sighed, "so, so much farther."

"Why?"

"I don't know. When Holly was shot seven years ago, he immediately called Sara. No questions asked, he didn't even discuss it with anyone. It was just, 'That's it, I need a CSI and I'm calling Sara.' It was odd, the way they interacted together. It was like she knew him so well, possibly better than he knew himself, and it was just…" he trailed off.

Sofia nodded again. "I know Sara and I aren't the greatest of friends, so I'm just wondering, is this little trip down memory lane important?"

Brass stood up again, and made his way to the door. "All I want you to know, Sofia, is that finding Sara is our only job right now. Nothing else in Las Vegas matters."

With that final statement, Sofia followed Brass to the door, completely ready to find the pretty brunette who had captured her friend's heart.

* * *

**to be continued...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** I've joined CSI Forever Online, under the same username, with thanks to Hithui, but I won't lie: I have no idea what I'm doing on there. Any help you lovely people would like to offer would be greatly appreciated! :) Also, the Luxor has amazing suites. I looked them up in preparation for this story. I'd love to stay there the next time I'm in Vegas! And many many thanks to all of those who are reading and reviewing. You're all awesome!

Here's to chapter five! Hurrah!

* * *

"Sara, you're awake," came the voice from the door, roughly bringing the sleeping woman into consciousness. "And just how was your little nap?"

"Horrible," she muttered, instinctively pulling Grissom's letter closer to her chest, her heart.

"Ahh, you found it," he said nodding at the letter. "Sweet, wasn't it?"

Sara was trembling, but trying her hardest to not let it show. "It was."

"Beautiful, it really was. Gil must really love you, to send you that letter, and that cocoon, as well, all the way from, where was it again?"

Ignoring the question, Sara stared at her kidnapper. _How does_ _he know about Gil's sabbatical? About the cocoon? How did he even get the letter he wrote to me?_

"I know what you're thinking, my Sara," he said quietly. "You're thinking, how do I know all about you and Grissom, about your relationship? How do I know a lot of things?" She nodded, unable to form words. "Well, I could tell you, if you'd like, but I don't think you'd like my explanations very much…" he said, trailing off and baiting her into conversation.

Getting strength from somewhere, Sara stated firmly, "Tell me."

"Ooh, feisty, aren't you?" he asked, moving to crouch down in front of her. "I'll bet that that's one of the many reasons Gil adores you so."

"And if it is?"

"Then it should be fun telling you how I know all these things you've worked so hard to keep secret."

**OoOoOoOoO**

Catherine looked around the room at her coworkers. Pulling the miniature towards her, she asked the room at large, "Does anyone know where they've seen this room before?" Everyone shook their heads except for Nick, who was staring at the miniature intently.

"What is it, Nicky?" Grissom asked slowly, watching the Texan.

"I think I might know where this is from," he said, turning it towards him with latex-clad fingers. "It might look like a hotel room of some sort." And after a pause, "I think."

"Could you be any more specific? Like what kind of hotel?" Grissom asked, leaning over the table.

"The Luxor?" Nick asked, not entirely sure of himself. "Maybe the Tower Luxury Suite? It looks like it…"

Catherine gasped with recognition. "Nicky! I think you're right!"

Grissom sat back and closed his eyes, removing his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose. _Please God, let Nicky be right! I need to find Sara… I need to tell her again, just how much I love her… _

**OoOoOoOoO**

Sara was reeling from shock. He'd just told her how he had known everything, and like he'd promised, his explanation was one she hadn't wanted to hear.

"Sara," he said, grinning at her. "I've been following the two of you all year. I know where you live, I know where Gil lives, I know when you're at his townhouse, and when he's at your apartment. I knew where he was the entire time he was on sabbatical. Good thing Gil is a faithful guy, isn't it? I have to tell you, there were many good-looking girls on campus." Sara sucked in a breath, trying, but failing, to ignore what he was telling her. "I tried, you know, to get him to sleep with those other girls, I really did try. Sending them over to him armed with just the right questions and comments... But no go. He was just so damn committed to you, although I really don't know why."

It was a good thing that Sara was confident in both herself and her relationship, for that comment could have totally thrown her. "Gil loves me," she hissed through clenched teeth. "He's always loved me."

The man laughed. "Is that what you think? Oh, Sara, sweet Sara. You are wrong, my dear. So very, very wrong."

**OoOoOoOoO**

Brass's cell phone vibrated against his hip. Quickly pulling it out, he glanced at the caller ID. It was Catherine. "Catherine, what is it?" he asked hurriedly, pulling Sofia from her desk.

"We may have a lead," she said breathlessly. "The Luxor."

"The Luxor?" Brass asked, confused. "What? Why?"

"Nick finally pinpointed the scene and we're pretty sure that it's the Luxor, in a Tower Luxury Suite. We're going to go check it out, you and Sofia coming?"

"On our way," Brass promised.

Catherine hung up with Brass and turned to look at her friends. "Brass and Sofia are on their way," she said quietly, laying a reassuring hand on Grissom's arm. "We're going to find her. Alive."

* * *

**to be continued...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Huge hugs to everyone who has reviewed thus far, I really really appreciate it. I hope everyone has a great long weekend!

Here's to chapter six! Hurrah!

* * *

"Sara, I need you to do something for me," he said, roughly pulling her into a standing position. "I need you to go lie down on the bed, and close your eyes."

She shook her head defiantly. "No."

"You don't want to die with your eyes open, do you?"

"No, I don't."

"Then lie down and close your eyes."

"No. I'm not dying tonight. No one is," Sara said, confident.

"Stupid girl. You can't promise that, now can you?" At her silence, he added, "No, you can't. So be a good girl and go lie down."

**OoOoOoOoO**

Catherine kept her hand on Grissom's arm as they entered the hotel, hot on Brass and Sofia's tail. She could see that Grissom was chomping at the bit to find Sara, but she couldn't let him go for fear of him doing something he would later regret.

Brass made his way to the front desk clerk, a young kid and held up his badge. "Las Vegas PD," he said quickly. "Have you seen this woman in here today?" He held up a picture of Sara for him to look at.

Frowning, he shook his head. "Nope, I haven't seen her. Should I have?"

Grissom rounded on Nick. "You told me she was here!" he seethed.

"Gil!" Catherine said, pulling him away from his friend. "Don't you dare yell at Nick." He started to interrupt, but she held up a hand and leveled him with a glare. "Stop! Do not yell at Nicky, or Greg, or Warrick, or me, or any of us for that matter. We all want to find Sara as much as you do, but getting pissy with us is not the way to do that. Do you understand me?"

Grissom nodded, tears misting his eyes. "I'm sorry, Cath," he whispered. "I just need to find her."

Catherine put a reassuring hand on his arm. "Gil," she said, looking him in the eye. "I know Sara and I have had our differences in the past, but right now, the only thing on my mind is finding her and bringing her back to you, to all of us. We all love her, and we will stop at nothing to save her."

Taking some deep breaths, Grissom turned back to Nick, who was visibly shaken at his verbal attack. "Nicky," he said quietly. "I apologize for snapping at you. I shouldn't have. I just want to find Sara, but I know that's no excuse. I'm sorry."

Nick stuck out his hand to the older man. "No hard feelings, Griss," he said a mix of relief and compassion washing over his face. "It's okay."

Brass and Sofia had stood on the outside of things, closer to the desk, watching the exchange. "That was… odd, for lack of a better word," Sofia commented.

"Yeah," Brass said, agreeing. "But like I said before…"

"Yeah," she sighed. "Yeah, Grissom loves Sara and will do anything to get her back. I know."

Brass gave her a small smile and turned back to the clerk. "You're sure about not seeing her?"

The man ran his eyes over Sara's face appreciatively, causing Grissom's anger to rise up again, but Catherine kept her hand firmly on his arm. "Nope, I would have remembered someone as hot as her walking into this place."

"Okay, well, we would like to look at the security tapes, if you please."

"Oh, well..." the counter clerk started indecisively. "I don't know about that."

Brass gave the man a glare. "We could come back with a warrant, shut your hotel down for however long it takes and tell your manager that you weren't cooperative for the police."

The man blushed furiously and retreated to the back. "I'll get those tapes for you."

**OoOoOoOoO**

Sara was lying down on the bed, watching him move around the room, setting up his laptop again beside her. Flashing a camera in her face, he said, "Smile babe." Before she had a chance to react, he'd taken the picture and was already loading it onto the computer, most likely to send to Grissom. "Sara, I know I told you this before, but you photograph so beautifully!" He laughed, enjoying the way she squirmed.

"Let me go," Sara said quietly. "I haven't done anything to you and neither has Gil. Please, just let me go."

He stood over her, his eyes blazing. "You have no idea who I am, do you?" She shook her head. "Sara, Sara, Sara. For someone so brilliant, you can be so damn stupid sometimes. Like now, for example."

"What are you talking about?" she asked coldly.

"Say, do the names Izzy Delancy, Penny Gardner, Raymundo Suarez, and Barbara Tallman have any meaning to you?"

Sara wasn't sure what she should say. Of course she knew who those people were, they were the victims of the… _Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit!_

"I believe you and your people call me the Miniature Killer, Sara."

* * *

**to be continued...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** I hope everyone had a wonderfully fantastical Labour Day weekend, I know I did! Had a fantastic night of Disney movies with coworkers and had my first hangover yesterday. It was grand. Actually I thought I was going to die, but I obviously haven't. Thank god. Anyway, enough about me. As always, giant thanks to each and every one of you amazing readers, I don't know what I'd do without you. I hope you like the story thus far. You must, if you've stuck with me up till this point. Thank you, so very very much. It's appreciated.

Here's to chapter seven! Hurrah!

* * *

The graveyard shift had finally gotten a hold of the security videos from the day, and Archie was sitting in the AV lab, with Catherine hovering behind him, trying to spot the familiar brunette, but there was nothing so far.

Grissom had locked himself away in his office, refusing to come out until the team found something that would help find him Sara. The rest of the team – Warrick, Nick, and Greg – were either in the break room or wandering around the lab, feeling lost without their friend. They had no evidence to go on, and were feeling helpless. They'd scoured the miniature for prints, trace, and blood, but there was nothing. Just like all of the others that had come before.

Time was running out and as the clock ticked, and desperation hung in the air. They needed to find Sara.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Grissom sat up in his office, going over the last time he'd seen Sara. It had been earlier that morning, when he'd left her apartment with a quick kiss and a "see you soon." He hadn't even told her that he'd loved her prior to walking out the door. He had said it to her over breakfast, and again when they were getting dressed. He hadn't thought much of it then, but now he was really starting to regret not saying it. Not just today, but in general. He didn't tell her nearly enough. And now it had come back to bite him in the ass.

He had met Sara at one of his seminars years ago, and had been immediately attracted to her fierce curiosity and spunk. She was unconventionally beautiful, with her expressive eyes, thin, angular body, and a mane of brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. She was definitely not like the blonde bombshells that assaulted him every time he walked through in Las Vegas, and she seemed to not even realize she was so incredibly captivating. Her gentle nature had shown Grissom that she was kind as well, and not just another gorgeous face in the crowd. Sara wasn't afraid to challenge him in class, and that was something he didn't see often; it had been oddly refreshing.

He smiled sadly, thinking back on it now. Grissom had called her immediately when Holly was killed, knowing that she was a dedicated worker who wouldn't miss something important. Offering her a position on his team hadn't even warranted a second thought for him; he had wanted her on the team and that was that.

A sudden thought struck him, and he felt his heart sink. What if Sara was still at home, lying on the floor, bleeding? _Oh dear God… Sara!_ Standing quickly, he rushed out of his office, and headed straight to the AV lab, looking for Catherine.

Entering the lab, he almost barreled into her; she was still staring at the numerous screens around her. "Catherine," he said, his voice shaking. "I'm going to go check Sara's apartment, I thought she might be there. And some other places too, maybe."

His voice trailed off as Catherine's face paled. "Oh God, how did we not think to check there?" she gasped, horrified. "I'll come with you."

Grissom held up a hand. "No. I'm going by myself. I don't think there will be anything - there generally isn't with these damn miniatures, but... it doesn't hurt to check." He didn't point out that some of those other places he'd mentioned included his own townhouse. "I'll be back as soon as I can, but page me if you find anything, alright? Anything."

Catherine nodded as he walked briskly from the room, practically breaking into a bowlegged sprint as he hit the main hall. On any other, more ordinary, day, Catherine would have wondered why Grissom had the keys to Sara's apartment and when he'd gotten them, but today was no ordinary day, and the thought hadn't even crossed her mind.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Sara could feel the tears finally threatening to spill out of the corners of her eyes. She'd held them back for her whole ordeal so far, with the exception of Gil's letter, but this new piece of information was going to be her breaking point.

"The Miniature Killer, Sara," he repeated again, malice in his eyes.

Trying to stay calm, Sara tried a different tactic. "What about the Miniature Killer?" She saw the anger in his eyes and instantly regretted her question.

"What about the Miniature Killer?" he repeated, his eyes bulging and spit flying from his mouth. "What about the Miniature Killer!? Goddamn!"

Sara feared for her life, afraid that he would kill her now in his rage, instead of drawing it out and forcing Grissom to watch her die. _It's better that way_, she mused sadly. _Gil won't have to watch me die. I would never be able to handle him dying before my eyes…_

As if reading her mind yet again, he took some deep calming breaths and turned away from her. "Sara, I am the Miniature Killer," he stated simply, turning to face her once more, his breathing calmed. "I killed those people, and left the miniatures at their crime scenes."

"But why?"

He grinned at her, and it made her blood run cold. "Because they deserved to die."

**OoOoOoOoO**

Grissom drove like a madman through the busy Las Vegas traffic, racing to his townhouse. He really didn't care about anything right now, because all he wanted was Sara safe again and back in his arms.

He flew into the parking lot, and screeched to a halt in his regular parking space. Grissom barely took the time to shut the car off before he raced to his front door. Jamming the key into the lock, he swung the door open and rushed inside, letting it slam shut behind him, leaving an eerie echoing silence throughout the empty townhouse.

He swore and stormed out of his house after thoroughly checking it for any sign of the missing scientist. There were signs of their cohabitation, of course, but nothing truly out of the ordinary. Her clothes scattered in their room, feminine toiletries in the bathroom, two toothbrushes in the cup beside the sink, but nothing to make him suspect that she had been here without him.

Getting into his car, he drove blindly time to Sara's apartment, not knowing how he got there without killing himself, or someone else. Upon arriving, he ran up the stairs and almost kicked the door down when the key wouldn't slide into the lock because of his trembling fingers. Swearing at his lack of control, he finally got the key in and pushed through the door.

**OoOoOoOoO**

"Why did those people deserve to die, exactly?" she asked, trying to understand this man's obvious psychopathy.

"Because," he said, tears in his eyes, effectively rendering Sara speechless. "They were the ones who were supposed to protect me… save me… "

Sara was confused. "What are you talking about?" she snapped. Anger flared in his eyes again, and Sara sank back into the small comforts of the bed pillows.

"My childhood…" he broke off, almost as if he didn't know how to continue.

"Yes?"

"…was horrible."

"Well, I'm sorry," she said, feeling not at all sorry for him. "My childhood was pretty shitty too, you know, but I'm not a raving, psychopathic, serial killer."

"Not yet."

"No. Not now, not ever," Sara said quietly. "I love the people around me, and I would never take another human life out of rage or a misguided sense of justice."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Well, that makes us different then, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does. I'm the one who was kidnapped by a madman, not the other way around," she ground out, no longer caring if her words were only provoking this lunatic. He nodded slowly. "Why don't you let me go, and we can get you some help." She tried speaking to him again, this time in a more placating manner.

He gave Sara another glare before storming to the door. "I'll see you when I get back," he snarled, abruptly leaving.

"What the hell…?" she muttered, wondering how she'd gotten herself into this mess.

* * *

**to be continued...**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **Hopefully everyone has had a smooth transition from summer back into their school life; I for one am pretty grateful to not be in school and have the house to myself again as my brother has returned to school! Major thanks to all those who have reviewed and those who have put this story on their notifications, I don't have the words to adequately express my appreciation. Thank you, and hugs for all. Everyone have a wonderful weekend, and I shall see you all again on Tuesday!

Here's to chapter eight! Hurrah!

* * *

"Definite signs of a struggle, Cath."

"Where, Gil?"

"The kitchen mostly, and there is nothing in the bedroom or bathroom."

Catherine's sense of reality came back for a second and she stared at the phone. "Gil? You were in Sara's room? Why would you do that to yourself?"

Grissom was confused. What the hell was she talking about? "Cath, explain, please."

"Gil! You think just because she's missing, it gives you the right to snoop around her room and her privacy? I can't believe you!"

He almost smiled. Catherine, along with the rest of his team, were still not aware of the fact that he and Sara were together, or that they had been for quite some time, and that he was allowed to go anywhere he wanted in her apartment.

"Catherine, I'm sure when I tell her about it, she'll understand."

"Gil…" she started, but he cut her off.

"Cath, can we please get back to the situation at hand?"

She mumbled something incoherently about 'having his head' but retracted her comments back to their missing friend. "Sorry. Okay, well, if you find anything important, bring it back to the lab."

"Will do," he promised, and hung up.

Catherine stared at the phone, hoping that when Sara was found, her completely oblivious friend would get a clue about the brunette who was so obviously in love with him. She would hate to see Sara survive this whole ordeal only to get hurt in the end.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Grissom walked slowly around the apartment, looking for some type of clue to lead him to Sara. There were different things, things that only someone very close to him would recognize as being his, scattered around the place. A toothbrush in her bathroom, a handful of entomology text books, and his straight razor set to the left of the bathroom sink, but nothing significant to this investigation.

He noticed a cloth lying on the floor, and picked it up between two latex-covered fingers. Sniffing it briefly, he felt fear grip his heart; the sweet smell emitted from the cloth was halothane.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Catherine hurried by Grissom's empty office on her way to find Brass and Sofia, but also looking for her teammates to let them in on the new developments.

A tinny ringing sound distracted her from her thoughts, and she turned to the source; Grissom's computer. Silently praying that it was just an email inviting him to a lecture in Boston or something, she eased her way into the office and sat down behind the desk. Shaking the mouse to rid the screen of his bug-littered screen saver, she saw that his inbox had been updated with a new email, and it had the same sender as the ones previous to it. Clicking on it apprehensively, it opened to reveal yet another shot of Sara, this time lying on a bed, her eyes closed.

The note accompanying this one read;

_Gil, so good to talk to you again. I still have your stupid girlfriend, and we've been having the most delightful discussions. We've been talking about all kinds of things, like those beautiful girls you met on campus, and the similarities between us. If I were you, I would hurry up and get here. I would hate to have to start this little party without you._

_Until next time._

There was no signature. Catherine couldn't believe this guy. He was taunting Grissom in such a cruel way… it really wasn't fair to him, to Sara, or to the rest of the team.

But then again, she told herself, life isn't fair.

**OoOoOoOoO**

_This is definitely something significant_, Grissom thought angrily, forcefully bagging the cloth. _He must have arrived after I left, attacked her when she was vulnerable, in her own home. That stupid son of a bitch, I'll kill him when we find him. _Grissom looked around the kitchen again, searching for any other clues to the struggle that had obviously occurred. Finding nothing else, he made a vow to himself, and Sara.

_That's it_, he told himself. _This morning was the last time I'm leaving without her. She can't stay here in this place. She's got to move in with me, she's got to stay with me, forever, no question about it._ Surprised by his own determination, but not backing away from it, he headed back down to his car, ready to head back to the lab. He hoped that this small piece of evidence would be the thing to find Sara, but he had learned early on not to put too much faith in hope.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Sara stared at the door, too afraid to move from the bed, and Grissom's letter still clutched in her trembling hands. He'd left about an hour ago, and still hadn't come back. She was beginning to think that maybe he'd forgotten about her, but that faint flicker of hope died when he walked through the door carrying a medium sized square box. Recognizing it immediately, she felt her heart sink. It was the same type of box that Grissom received miniatures in; she'd seen them at his townhouse and in his office many times.

"What's that?" she asked quietly, feigning confusion.

"A miniature box, Sara," he answered coolly, as if it was obvious. "I have already sent one to Gil, but it has no body in it. Stupid old man probably hasn't even realized it."

"Hey," Sara said, sitting up. "Gil is neither stupid, nor old. Don't ever call him that."

"Ooh, protective much, are we?" he taunted, his eyes gleaming.

"Yeah actually, I am," Sara retorted, her anger fuelling her confidence.

"Whatever. I'm sending him this miniature now, and it's got your tiny little dead doll body in it. I can't wait for his reaction."

She glared at him, not fully able to form words. "You sick bastard," she swore angrily. "Why the hell are you doing this? To me and to Gil? We haven't done anything wrong!"

"I don't care. There were people who hurt me and who did screw me over, but your people did NOTHING to stop it! Now you and Gil and all of your pathetic little friends are going to pay." He moved away from her, and didn't speak another word as he carefully placed the small scene into the box, and headed to the door again. "Next time you see me, Sara, I'll be here to kill you."

* * *

**to be continued...**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** Alright, this one is very very short, and I apologize for that. It just didn't fit into the previous or the next chapter very well, so I gave it its own. I have to ramp up the suspense somehow, right!? As always, thank you for sticking with me so far, you have all been fantastic and I appreciate it so much. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and don't leave me now. It's about to get good!

Here's to chapter nine! Hurrah!

* * *

Grissom walked into the crime lab almost as if he were in a trance, clutching the bagged cloth close to his chest. As he passed the front desk, Judy, the frizzy haired receptionist, called out, "Doctor Grissom, you've received another package." She held it out to him, not realizing what lay within.

"Thanks Judy," he said hoarsely, heading straight to the layout room, suddenly much more focused.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Catherine had printed off the new email and went in search of her team. She found that they had relocated to the layout room, the new miniature sitting in front of them.

"Guys," she started to say, but was interrupted by Grissom rushing in behind her, slamming the box and bag on the table.

"Another miniature," he panted, leaning on the table to catch his breath. "And… and… a cloth. I think it has halothane on it. I found it in Sara's kitchen… Trace, now…"

Warrick picked it up and swept from the room, pausing at the door to say, "Already gone, Griss."

Catherine opened the new box, and extracted the improved miniature. "Why would he send us another one?" she asked slowly.

"I know why," Nick said, peering into the first box. "The first one doesn't have a body."

**OoOoOoOoO**

Warrick practically ran to the Trace lab, and shoved the bag under Hodges's nose. "Analyze that now," he commanded, causing Hodges to glare up at him.

"I'm kind of busy…"

"You're kind of busy?!" Warrick said incredulously.

"Yeah I am, so your trace, whatever it might be, is just going to have to wait until I get to it," Hodges replied with a haughty glare.

"Hodges!" Warrick shouted. "Are you fucking kidding me?! You know that Sara is missing?"

"Yes…"

"This was found in her apartment. It's all we've got to go on. Now process the damn thing before I come back in here and kick your skinny, white ass."

"Okay, okay," he said, pushing his current work away from him. "I'm processing!"

"Good." Warrick stormed out, headed back towards the layout room.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Archie stared at his computer screen, looking for his friend among the throngs of people. He hadn't seen her yet, but one man in particular had caught his attention. Picking up his cell from the desk, he dialed Catherine's phone.

"Yes?" Catherine answered irritably.

"Hey Cath, it's Archie."

"Did you find her?"

Grissom sat up, staring at Catherine for confirmation that the lab tech had finally spotted her among the throngs of people in the hotel.

"No, but there is a guy who looks pretty suspicious, and he keeps coming and going. He shows up about every half hour or so. I have the email times with me, and it looks like he's in the building at all the same corresponding times…"

"That's kind of a long shot, Arch," Catherine said warily.

"Yeah, I know. But I can't shake the feeling that he's important. Come check him out?"

"On our way," she promised, and hung up.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Looking for some way to escape, Sara was trudging around the room, trying to scope out every possible exit. She did not want to die here. _I will not die here_, she decided with finality. She wanted to go home, and she wanted Grissom to hold her, and she wanted pretend that this had never happened. But that comforting scenario seemed to be deteriorating quickly, and soon, all Sara could feel was the familiar desperation creeping back into her heart.

"Gil," she whispered a quiet prayer to her lover. "Please come find me. I love you."

**OoOoOoOoO**

Grissom and Catherine stood behind Archie as he walked them through the many sightings of the peculiar man. He'd been in and out many times – Grissom had stopped counting after five.

"What's the best shot you can get on this guy's face?" he asked the younger man, wanting to bring him in for questioning.

"This one here," Archie said, pulling up a ready-to-go profile picture. "Print it off?"

"Yes please."

He reached behind the monitor and pulled out an already-printed picture. "I'm way ahead of you, Griss. There you go."

Catherine gave him a beaming smile and retreated from the room, leaving Grissom with the tech. Grissom gave Archie a small smile before following Catherine out the door.

* * *

**to be continued...**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** So I totally forgot it was Friday today. But I remembered and was luckily off work early so I could come home and work on this new chapter. Thank you for sticking with me, you're all awesome! I hope you enjoy this new one, and return on Tuesday. Have a good weekend everyone!

Here's to chapter ten! Hurrah!

* * *

Jim's cell phone rang out with a shrill tone. "Brass," he answered.

"Hey, Jim, it's Catherine. We may have another lead. The Luxor. We're going now."

Brass stood from his desk and dropped what he was doing, already looking around for Sofia. "Are you sure?"

"It is a lead," Catherine said, "but as for it going anywhere, we'll just have to go for it and see."

"Alright. Fifteen minutes, tops."

**OoOoOoOoO**

After filling in Warrick and leaving Greg and Nick with the miniatures as well as the task of watching Grissom's computer, Catherine and Grissom were standing in the lobby of the Luxor yet again, waiting for Brass and Sofia to arrive. They pulled up, and the two detectives exited the car and went to join the CSIs. Brass strode up to the front desk again, and was met with a young girl, obviously on a different shift than their earlier visit. He held up a picture of Sara and asked, "Have you ever seen her?"

The girl shook her head, and said, "No, I think I would have noticed her come in. She's really beautiful, and the good looking ones tend to be memorable."

Grissom's heart swelled with pride at hearing those words come out of the girl's mouth, rather than the mouth of some grungy kid who thought she'd be a good time.

Brass, believing the young girl, now held up a picture of the man from the video. "Have you seen him before?"

She studied the picture for a bit and then quietly said, "Yeah, that's Max."

Sofia could see that, for some reason, the young girl wasn't happy to give out information. Inclining her head towards the girl, she asked, "Is he in here now?"

She looked around and swiftly searched the sea of faces with an effectiveness that could only come from a fair bit of time in the hospitality industry. "No, he's – wait, there he is. He just walked in."

Grissom spun around quickly, watching as their suspect walked through the spinning doors towards the elevator. Brass spun as well, and headed straight for him, Grissom on his tail. The departure of the detective and the scientist left the three women behind, and Catherine offered the clerk a reassuring smile. "Thank you for all of your help," she said sincerely before nodding at Sofia, who took the lead and headed towards the doors.

"You're welcome," she answered quietly, and then Catherine was gone.

**OoOoOoOoO**

"Do you know this woman?" Brass asked for the third time that day.

He glanced at the picture. "I might. Who's asking?"

"The LVPD," Grissom answered through clenched teeth.

"LVPD? Well how can I be of service to you?"

"You can start by answering the question," Catherine said coolly.

"Alright. Yes, I know her."

"Where is she?" Sofia asked.

"Do you know a man by the name of Ernie Dell?" Grissom asked, overriding Sofia.

The man's face paled. "Yeah, he was my foster father," he spat out. "Why?"

"Sir, we need to take you down to the station for some questioning."

Smart enough not to fight four law enforcement personnel, he allowed Brass to lead him to the squad cars waiting outside.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Brass sat in the interrogation room, across from the mysterious man. He sipped a glass of water, seemingly relaxed. After flipping on a small recording device, Brass informed the man of his legal rights and began the interview.

"What's your name?"

"Max Aldwell."

"So, Max. How do you know Sara Sidle?"

"She works here, doesn't she?"

"Yes, she does. I'll ask you again, how do you know her?"

"I'm not really comfortable telling you that."

Brass moved on. "Ernie Dell was your foster father?"

"Yes."

"Did you get along with him?"

"No."

"Where is Sara?"

"I don't know. Shouldn't you people be keeping better track of your employees?"

Grissom tensed in the viewing room, but again, Catherine's reassuring hand was on his arm in hopes of keeping him together. "Don't bother Gil," she said quietly. "He's not worth it."

He turned to her and nodded sadly. "I know."

Sudden movement caught his eye, and he turned back to the two way mirror. Brass was standing up, and letting their suspect go.

"Why the hell are you letting him go?" Grissom exploded, rushing to the hall. "He's the only lead we've got! How are we going to find her now?"

"Gil, stop! Don't you think I know that? He didn't know anything, and he's not saying anything, and we've got nothing to hold him on."

Grissom spewed profanities, causing everyone around him to stare. They had never seen or heard him lose control like that before, and it was a frightening thing to witness. Catherine shook her head at Brass, sympathy in her eyes, before she spun on a heel and trailed after Grissom down the hall.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Sara tensed as she heard the door opening behind her. She'd retreated to the bed again, finding some solace there. _He's back_, she thought, trying to curb her panic. _I think I'm going to die..._

"Sara, I'm back…" She gulped visibly and steadied her breath, saying nothing. He continued and she could hear the grin in his voice. "I just had a nice chat with your boyfriend, and his… well, I guess you could call them his followers."

Sara sat straight up, fear gripping her heart. "Gil? You talked to him? What did he say? What did you say?"

"What? Oh, he just asked if I knew you, and if I knew where you were. Of course, said I had no idea, and that they should keep a closer eye on you. They didn't take too nicely to that comment. You know, your Gil has quite a temper on him, I saw him yelling at a blonde after they released me."

"Let me go!" Sara shouted loudly, an idea forming. Maybe, if she screamed loudly enough, someone would hear her and call for help. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it earlier, but for the moment she chalked it up to fear for her life. She didn't know where she was, except that she was still within the city, but there had to be people around.

As if reading her mind, he descended on her, and placed a hand over her mouth. "Shut up, Sidle, or I'll take special care to ensure that your death is slow and painful."

She quieted, and he removed his hand from her mouth, moving away from her. "I swear, Sara, you make any loud noise, and you will regret it." The malice in his voice and the dead look in his eyes scared her more than anything else had so far.

* * *

**to be continued...**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: **We're coming closer and closer to the end...! Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me so far, YOU ROCK! Hugs to all.

Here's to chapter eleven! Hurrah!

* * *

"Gil," Catherine called softly, stepping into the darkened office. At first, she was met with silence, but then it was quickly filled with Grissom's ragged breaths. Finding her way towards him in the dark, she could see his shaking profile outlined by the small sliver of light seeping through the bottom of the door.

"Catherine, I just want to find her. I want her back, I need her back. Catherine, you've got to help me." This last bit was said as a desperate whisper.

"Shh," she soothed gently, her hands smoothing small circles on his back. "Gil, we'll find her. Don't worry. I promise you, we will find Sara, she'll be alive, and you can let her know just how much you really do care." Grissom nodded slowly, not being able to form full and coherent thoughts, never mind sentences.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Brass's cell phone rang, jarring him from his thoughts. "Yes?" he answered gruffly.

"Captain Brass? This is Officer Moralez. You know that man that you had in custody earlier? The guy you questioned in connection to your missing CSI?"

"Max Aldwell?"

"Yeah, him."

"What about him?"

"He says he knows where she is."

Brass found Sofia and with her help, he managed to round up the whole graveyard shift, herding them into his office. "We've had a development," he said, looking around the room with a grim expression on his face.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Max grinned at Sara as he hung up the phone. "Well, I've just called Gil and his friends. They should be here soon. And when they arrive, we're going to have some real fun."

Sara paled as icy cold fear gripped her heart, plunging her into a self-made darkness.

**OoOoOoOoO**

"What kind of development, Brass?" Grissom asked slowly, trying to keep his anger in check. If this was another inane lead to finding Sara, he was not in the mood.

"Max Aldwell, the man we had in custody earlier, just phoned in to say that he knows where Sara is," Brass started to explain.

"WHAT?" Grissom exploded, bringing his hand down on the wood of his friend's desk. "He knows where she is? He knew all along, and you just let him go!?"

"Gil," Brass said gruffly, leveling him with a steely glare. "We had no reason to hold him, and he just called now."

"Does he have her? Does that stupid son of a bitch have her?"

"Gil, we don't know. We really don't. He said to meet him at the hotel."

"The Luxor?" Catherine asked, finally speaking.

"Yes."

"Then let's go," Warrick said, standing up.

"Wait," Nick said, looking up at his friend. "What did you get from the rag in Trace?"

Warrick looked at the sheet in his hand. "Straight up halothane," he answered solemnly. "Just like Grissom said."

Greg spoke up the first time in recent hours. "Great! Okay, we have halothane and a supposedly solid lead. Where does that leave us now?! We've talked, we've yelled, and hell, we've even threatened to cause bodily harm to one another. It's becoming glaringly obvious that none of this is helping us find Sara, so can we all please just shut the hell up!" This outburst marked the first time that the youngest CSI had spoken since he had first learned of Sara's disappearance. His tone and anger had effectively shocked the others into a complacent silence. "Can we please go find Sara now?" he continued softly, "I really miss her."

"You all heard Greg. Let's go," Grissom said after a minute. He shakily pushed himself to his feet, and made his way to the hall.

**OoOoOoOoO**

The graveyard CSIs quickly made their way to the Luxor; they'd been there so often in the past twenty-four hours that Brass was thinking of calling himself a loyal client. Coming to a halt at the front desk once again, they were greeted by yet another desk clerk, this one an elderly man named Joe.

"Joe," Brass said, glancing quickly at his nameplate and holding up a picture, "have you seen this man here today?"

"Yep. Sure have."

"Does he have a room?"

"Well, I'd have to check…"

"Please, do."

"Okay." He pulled his computer mouse towards him, looking for room records. After a few minutes of clicking and typing, he looked back at Brass and smiled. "Here we go… Ryan Belittle, room 703, floor seven."

Greg looked up, confusion written all over his young face. Their suspect's name was Max Aldwell, not Ryan Belittle, and he started to point out as much when Catherine stepped in front of him. "Thank you for your help, Joe. We'll go see him now." Catherine pulled on Greg's arm, leading him away from the small group. "Greg, I know he said that our guy's name was different than the one he gave us, but remember that criminals assume identities all the time. Don't get confused."

"Yeah, okay," Greg said, pulling away from her gently. "I get it."

"Sorry Greggo, I just didn't want you to let anything slip without realizing. You never know who has what connections."

"I wouldn't have, you know."

"I just want to find Sara for Gil, alive, and I didn't mean any disrespect for your abilities. I just really want to find her."

"I get it Cath, it's okay." He smiled softly, conveying his understanding in silence.

"Good. Let's go."

They quickly followed Brass and Sofia to the elevator, where the tired group rode to the seventh floor, no on making a sound. Upon reaching their destination, the two detectives drew their weapons and motioned for everyone behind them to stay quiet and to be at the ready should anything go badly.

Slowly moving his way down the hall, Brass looked for room 703. Halfway down, he found what he was looking for and stepped to the side, gun in hand. Sofia moved to the opposite side, and the uniformed officer, who had come as back up, rapped briskly on the door.

"Las Vegas Police. Open up!"

* * *

**to be continued...**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: **Happy Friday everyone! We're almost at the end, can you believe it!? Thank you for sticking with me; you are all fantabulously awesome. Hugs to everyone who has read and reviewed so far, I really really appreciate it. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and I shall see you all Tuesday, for the final chapter.

Here's to chapter twelve! Hurrah!

* * *

Sara heard a faint knocking in the distance, but was she so tired that her foggy mind didn't think anything of it. She had a feeling he'd drugged the water she had drank a little while ago, but couldn't be sure. She thought she was fading in and out of consciousness, with the room spinning and the colors meshing madly in her brain. She had been here for hours, and had lost count of how long she had been missing, and how many times he had left and returned. Hearing the knocking again, her captor looked up and smiled. "They're here." Standing slowly, he made his way to the door, and quietly slipped out, locking it behind him. She leaned back on the bed, and curled her fingers around Grissom's letter, hoping that when she died, she would have something to remind her of the love that he had for her.

**OoOoOoOoO**

"Las Vegas Police!" Brass shouted again, knocking louder and harder. "Open this door right now!"

The team waited with bated breath as they heard footsteps shuffling from behind the door. It opened, revealing their earlier suspect. "Detective Brass," Max said, smiling. "Mr. Grissom. Wow! You brought everybody along. It's lovely to see you all again."

Grissom almost lunged at the man. How could this man, this monster, speak so casually when Grissom's own world was spinning out of control and his heart felt as though it was being squeezed tighter every minute he was farther away from the woman he loved? Catherine again laid her hand on Grissom's arm, and steered him towards the door. "Mr. Aldwell, may we come in?"

"Of course," he answered, stepping back to let them into the room. "Be my guest."

**OoOoOoOoO**

She could hear voices on the other side of the door, but she couldn't figure out whom they belonged to or if these people could help her. Upon hearing a familiar deep voice, Sara was sure that her heart nearly stopped. That voice, she knew it so well, she loved it. She had spent the past few years waiting for its owner to admit that he loved her, and the past hours believing that she would never hear the voice again, and now there it was.

The voice was that of her savior, her boss, her best friend, her only love. It was the voice of Gil Grissom.

**OoOoOoOoO**

They all stepped into the luxurious suite, taking in its full kitchen area, living room set up and the two doors on the opposite end of the space and what they could only assume were the bathroom and bedroom. Grissom stared at the two doors, a feeling of dread coming into his stomach. He couldn't shake the feeling that something sinister lay behind them, although too far away for him to reach.

"You said you knew where Sara Sidle was?" Sofia asked, taking the lead.

"I did."

"Then where is she?"

Max started to answer, but was stopped when a faint female yell cut him off.

"Grissom!"

"Excuse me," Max said, desperately trying to cover it up as he began heading towards one of the doors. Reaching for the gun that was stashed in the table beside the door, he quickly moved towards the door on the right.

Brass and Sofia beat him to it, with Brass forcefully pulling the gun from his grasp. Sofia nodded to the uniform to hold him, pausing to knock on the door.

"Hello?" Brass called tentatively.

"Jim?" came the weak response.

"Sara," Catherine breathed out. "It's Sara! Open the door!"

Brass tried it, but it was bolted shut. They needed a key. A muttered, "Fuck," was heard faintly in the room, and a louder, "It's locked," followed quickly after.

Grissom rounded on the suspect who was being held by the uniformed officer. Pulling him from the man's grip, Grissom slammed him against the wall, and said, "Give me the goddamned key."

"No."

He pulled back from him, allowing Aldwell relax and take a breath before slamming him even harder against the wall, placing his left forearm over the man's throat. "I'm going to give you one last chance, and I'll say it slow for you. Give. Me. The. Key. _Now._"

Aldwell had terror in his eyes; knowing that if he refused again, this man would easily kill him with absolutely no regrets. Reaching into his pocket, he extracted a small silver key and threw it to Catherine. "There you go, bitch. Save your friend. She's probably near death now anyway," he threatened. "Have fun watching her die." He took a sick pride in watching the terror etched on the faces of the team.

Grissom dropped the man with a final push to his windpipe and rushed to Catherine, pulling the key from her grasp. He jammed the key into the lock, and after what seemed like forever, finally broke the barrier that had stood between him and Sara.

**OoOoOoOoO**

She heard the yelling outside, and the slamming of a body into a wall. She had heard Grissom's voice again, thanking unknown deities that he was well enough to be talking at least. The lock clicked, and the door swung open, finally revealing her worried and shaken friends after such a long and painful ordeal.

"Sara!" they all chorused, immensely relieved to find her alive and looking relatively healthy.

Grissom rushed into the room, immediately wrapping his arms around her protectively, reveling in the fact that she was alive and back in his arms. "Sara!" he said breathlessly, pulling back and cupping her face in his hands. "Sara, sweetheart, are you alright?"

She shook her head slightly, and leaned back into him, finally letting her tears flow freely. He wrapped her in his arms again, and gently pulled her from the bed. Placing soft kisses in her hair, he led her from the room, past his stunned coworkers, out into the hall, down the elevator through the lobby, and out to the parking lot. Upon reaching his Denali, they knew that they were ready to begin the long journey of recovery that they both would have to contend with… but they were ready.

* * *

**to be continued...**


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: **To follow at the end, but I have to personally thank NANCY1 for reading and reviewing almost every single chapter of this story. It means a lot to me that you've stuck with it this far, and your words have always put a smile on my face. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you. This last chapter is for you.

Here's to chapter thirteen! Hurrah!

* * *

Two months had passed since their whole ordeal, but Sara and Grissom were closer than ever, and were free to go about their relationship in the open. It hadn't taken a rocket scientist to figure out what their friends had witnessed during the save of Sara. Grissom had been openly affectionate towards her, sealing the suspicions that they were in fact together.

Max Aldwell had been taken into custody immediately after Sara had been removed from the scene. He confessed to the murders of Izzy Delancy, Penny Gardner, Raymundo Suarez, Officer Kamen, and the kidnapping of Sara and leaving the miniatures at the scene.

When Brass had asked why he'd chosen to murder those people in particular, his answer was bizarre. He'd said that, as a child, he was severely beaten at the hands of Ernie Dell – his foster father and while that was happening, Izzy's music would be playing. He knew, that if he came home to Izzy Delancy music, he was going to be beaten. Penny Gardner was his neighbor for the longest time, and whenever he wanted her help with family problems, she completely brushed him off, saying that it was all nonsense and that he didn't know what he was talking about. Hence, the beating continued. Raymundo Suarez worked at Manleigh Chickens, a place that had poisoned him once with raw chicken nuggets as a child. When Max had arrived to extract his revenge, Raymundo was the only one there, so he was the one to die. Finally, Officer Kamen's mother also used to be a cop when Max was a child, and had brushed off his explanations of child abuse as nothing more than wanting attention. Wanting to kill her, but finding that she was already among the dead, he decided that her daughter would pay the price.

Ernie Dell, realized what his foster son was doing, and took the blame for it, for some reason unknown to even Max himself. He said that his father was a waste of human, and that he wasn't sad that he'd taken his own life. "Good riddance," he'd openly scoffed.

Brass was sure the man had suffered a psychotic break at some point in the last year, triggered by what, he didn't know and didn't care, and believed he would be committed to a mental health hospital. But he'd be damned if the bastard tried to plead insanity instead of guilty when everything went to trial. He would make sure the deaths of those people and Sara's kidnapping did not go unnoticed. Sara and Grissom hadn't stuck around for the interrogation, instead heading immediately home, desperate to be with just each other.

Now, lying in bed, Sara spoke. "Gil," she said quietly. "I don't know if I ever thanked you for saving me."

Grissom turned to her and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Sara, honey, you don't have to thank me. You have to know that I did everything I could to find you as soon as possible."

Sara gave him a small smile and laid her head down on his chest; he pulled her body instinctively closer to his. "Catherine told me… you got out of hand, at some points."

Running a hand through her hair, Grissom returned her smile. "When you were gone, Sara… I was lost. I didn't know where to go, what to say… I was just a mess. That's what losing you is going to do to me."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Sara, none of this was your fault. Don't ever think that."

"I just… I feel like it's my fault or something… for putting you all through that…"

Grissom turned his body to stare directly into her eyes. "Sara, no. Do not ever think that, okay?"

She nodded slowly, tears threatening to overflow. He quickly wiped them from her eyes, ridding her of the wetness on her cheeks. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too, honey. We'll get through this, because we can. And because our love is strong enough to pull us through."

Sara nodded again, desperately wanting sleep to overtake her. The soothing breathing of the man beside her helped, along with her always-there exhaustion. She had yet to return to work, the nightmares from her ordeal still haunting her day and night. She was frequently awoken by the nightmares. She wasn't even quite sure if she wanted to return to work, it seemed like the effects of the job had finally caught up to her, and she didn't want to face an embarrassing burnout. Grissom was incredibly supportive, saying that whatever she decided to do, he would be behind her one hundred percent. That promise warmed her heart as she drifted off to sleep, desperately hoping that tonight would be the night when no nightmares occurred.

Grissom watched as the beautiful but troubled woman beside him fell asleep, wishing that he could somehow take her pain away, but knowing that he couldn't. Once he was sure that she was fast asleep, he let himself start to drift off, knowing that when they awoke tomorrow, it would be hard to get through the day, but that it would be just the tiniest bit better, because that's the way it was. One step at a time, one day at a time.

Pulling Sara's warm body against his, Grissom placed a gentle kiss on her lips, completely thankful that she was still here, and that he could. Now, they had all the time in the world. His last thought before finally falling asleep was this; _Sara and I have something special, and I don't plan on losing it anytime soon. We will work through this together, and she will become that whole and lively woman I know her to be._

"I love you Sara," he whispered sleepily, hoping that she'd heard him before the sleep completely overtook his brain. A small smile crept over her face, seen by no one, indicating that she had in fact, heard his whispered words of love. And those were the words that would soothe her heart and heal her shattered mind. She would be okay.

* * *

**-end-**

**Author's Note: **THANK YOU to everyone who read and reviewed this, it means so much to me that you enjoyed it enough to keep coming back and see what happened. This story was a long time in the works - five and a half years - so it's been fantastic to finally have it out for the world to see. Big thanks to my Big Me for editing, and hugs to all of you fantastic readers. I love you, and I can't wait to see you for the next story. Once again, thank you.


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